1
as in hopeless
not capable of being cured or reformed
an irretrievable drug addict who had wasted a once-promising life
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in irreparable
not capable of being repaired, regained, or undone
this is just an irretrievable mess, so let's start all over again
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of irretrievable
Lawmakers warn that evidence critical to future war crimes investigations may be irretrievable.
—
Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 20 Mar. 2025
And there was data that was lost, that was irretrievable.
—Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 2 Jan. 2025
Lawmakers warn that evidence critical to future war crimes investigations may be irretrievable.
—Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 20 Mar. 2025
And there was data that was lost, that was irretrievable.
—Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 2 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for irretrievable
Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 20 Mar. 2025
And there was data that was lost, that was irretrievable.
—Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 2 Jan. 2025
Lawmakers warn that evidence critical to future war crimes investigations may be irretrievable.
—Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 20 Mar. 2025
And there was data that was lost, that was irretrievable.
—Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 2 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for irretrievable
Recent Examples of Synonyms for irretrievable
Adjective
-
Those who are convinced they’re trapped stay helpless and hopeless.—
Amy Morin,
CNBC,
12 June 2025
-
In a world where the powerful increasingly act with impunity, taking fictional villains to task makes sense, a form of Hollywood wish fulfillment for those who feel stuck or hopeless.—
Whitney Friedlander,
Los Angeles Times,
11 June 2025
Adjective
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Immediate, irreparable harm When the government creates a policy that might violate the Constitution or federal law, affected people can sue in federal court to stop it.—
Cassandra Burke Robertson,
The Conversation,
27 June 2025
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Their outcomes are far from certain, and the cases might be decided only after irreparable damage has been done.—
Alex Reisner,
The Atlantic,
25 June 2025
Adjective
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In April, the actor told PEOPLE exclusively that he'd been diagnosed with the incurable disease.—
Hannah Sacks,
People.com,
16 June 2025
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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has reinstated nearly 200 workers who screen coal miners for black lung, an incurable progressive disease caused by long-term exposure to coal dust, following a federal judge’s order Tuesday.—
Nathaniel Weixel,
The Hill,
14 May 2025
Adjective
-
The shift from partner to caregiver was instantaneous and irreversible.—
Connie Etemadi,
USA Today,
23 June 2025
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But most in the audience clung onto the notion that at best, globalization and integration had reached a bump in the road, believing that globalization was inevitable, immutable and irreversible.—
Paul Laudicina,
Forbes.com,
23 June 2025
Adjective
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Customs Duty, which is irrecoverable. Import VAT, which can be reclaimed, provided correct steps are taken.—
Robert Marchant,
Forbes.com,
14 May 2025
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The contents of the time capsule may become irrecoverable.—
Dhruv Khullar,
New Yorker,
28 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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That drop felt like a gut punch to many, especially with ongoing news coverage framing current events as ominous, permanent or unrecoverable.—
Steve Booren,
Denver Post,
15 June 2025
-
Going down the wrong path may have consequences ranging from a minor mishap to an unrecoverable catastrophe.—
John Hall,
Forbes.com,
13 June 2025
Adjective
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Additionally, the court found that after considering several factors, the government failed to prove that Abrego Garcia poses an irremediable danger to the community.—
Greg Wehner , Bill Mears,
FOXNews.com,
23 June 2025
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Despite the incident, The Animal Haven reaffirmed its no-kill shelter status, and clarified that euthanasia in cases of irremediable canine aggression is in line with the Best Friends Animal Society's definition of no-kill.—
Raja Krishnamoorthi,
Newsweek,
13 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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They were joined by dozens of other performers across the rock ’n’ roll spectrum, from the hard-stomping Fleshtones to the incorrigible Supersuckers, to Tommy Stinson’s Bash & Pop, to the ageless Linda Gail Lewis — younger sister of music icon Jerry Lee Lewis.—
Jim Ruland,
Los Angeles Times,
14 May 2025
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Critics attack it the same way: the recent success of a provincial right-wing party led many to view Austria as a land of incorrigible neofascists, for which it was sanctioned by the EU.—
Paul Lendvai,
Foreign Affairs,
1 Mar. 2011
Cite this Entry
“Irretrievable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/irretrievable. Accessed 4 Jul. 2025.
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